Autopsy, embalming and signs of holiness in the body of Ignatius of Loyola’s

Abstract

The numerous biographies on Ignatius of Loyola’s that emerged in recent years have rarely addressed the post mortem treatment received by the body of the Holy Jesuit. Even more, those that actually talked about this chapter of the Saint’s life did not take into account the descriptive and interpretive richness that provides the History of Medicine. Therefore, this paper aims to reconstruct the postmortem treatment received by the body of Ignatius of Loyola’s. In addition, we aim to suggest some ideas about the health professionals who performed the autopsy and subsequent embalming of the corpse, the “signs of holiness” found in the body and the places where it was preserved.